“Death was everywhere, with life being the usual exception.” -Ulf Danielson, The World Itself.
That is my favorite quote from any book and I feel it matters to point out because that is how I feel when I’m here. Life is so unusual and strange but so rare at the same time. Seeing every new species, from Diptera to Trichoptera, is so fun and fascinating to spot, like a game. And I definitely have my fun each time I come to the BMI Lab at SSI and count like a Dr. Seuss book.
Hello, my name is Quinn Tamo (tay-mo) and I’m a junior in high school, so the pressure of my future is weighing down on me. Coming here each Wednesday and not going to school has been a blessing on my mental health and my sleep schedule. While I do have hobbies, like watercolor and crochet, and these are things I do with only intrinsic reward. Coming here gives me both intrinsic and extrinsic gratification. While being here I’ve put in my work here while not being burnt out in the process.
“People are lonely, and only animals in fancy shoes” -Jack Johnson.
I’ve always loved nature, especially the aquatic creatures, from the smallest BMI to the still small Vaquita, which is the world’s most endangered sea creature and my favorite animal. On that note I love aquatic animals and being here only lets my love for the bugs show. The BMI are the backbone of our ecosystems and even though some of these bugs are microscopic, they do so much for the water they call home, which in turn helps us. Especially me because I get the pleasure of working here because of my job and responsibility to count each sample I’m given.
In my past as a child I would watch Wild Krats, and one episode focused on dragonfly nymphs and how they eat mosquito larvae and how this in turn helps the environment. I really liked that episode and while me and my family were doing our yearly tradition of saving the frog eggs before the water dries up, my mom had found a quite unflattering bug in the outside fish tank we kept the frog spawn in. While my mom was about to fish it out and kill the unknown bug, I had remembered that episode and stopped her from killing it because I recognized the bug from the show. And I’m glad I did because otherwise we would have got mosquito eggs in the same tank. I believe that because of the saving of the dragonflies our mosquitoes have been more controlled near my house.
When I first started my internship at SSI back in January 2024, I’d just transferred from an auto repair shop and while it was fun it wasn’t really what I wanted to do with my Wednesdays. I saw a job application for a position here, and although I did not get the job, I was elated to be generously offered an internship interview and took the offer immediately. After I had taken the interview and succeeded in getting the internship, it was amazing because I finally had gotten a science-related internship. After my first day there I was a total flibbertigibbet and would not stop talking about it. This place is special to me because of all the memories I’ve gathered in the year I’ve interned there. Doing fun things like trips to water sample rivers (where I ended up making a spear in my free time by the river) to having my mentors come and see my exhibition presentation for school. I’m truly thankful for that.
My favorite part of being here is seeing the bugs, all the unique species names and physical appearance is so fun, especially when I get to count a bug so ginormous I could pick it up and show it off like a bug puppy. The biggest bug I’ve seen was about the size of my pinky, and those gals are from the Order Megaloptera, as well as my favorite big boy Plectoptera. I had named him Fancy Pants because his gills are in a spot that makes him look like he is wearing a fur coat. An exceptional highlight is the Miku-blue Trichoptera that I had documented on my own, while to this day we don’t quite know why they are blue but it’s known as my blue-bug, which I am extremely proud of. The orange long-headed Trichoptera and the Simulium are honorable mentions too because the long headed Trichoptera reminds me of my goats and I just adore the Simulium’s gills that look like cartoonishly bushy eyebrows atop its head.
“The worldview changed: Death became the rule and life the mystery in need of an explanation.” -Ulf Danielsson, The World Itself.
I’ve enjoyed every second I’ve spent here and I’m grateful I get my very own blog too. This has been my best internship I’ve had and I don’t have much more to add except thank you for reading.
All photos in this blog are credited to Quinn Tamo.
Loved your story Quinn! You sound like you’ve had an interesting and outdoorsy life so far! It’s heartening to hear from young people engaged with nature. Cheers
I love your enthusiasm and I look forward to meeting you in person at scipub! I wish I had a chance at a science intern year in high-school!